Literary Journals

The following literary journals regularly publish emerging writers and sometimes publish new writers (emerging meaning writers who have not yet published a book, and new meaning writers who have not yet published in journals). Always read a journal's submission guidelines carefully! Go to the FAQs page for more info on submitting. Visit Duotrope's Digest for more markets or to track submissions.

Born Magazine: Electronic journal that marries literary works and interactive media.

Boulevard: Print journal that "strives to publish only the finest in fiction, poetry, and non-fiction…While we frequently publish writers with previous credits, we are very interested in publishing less experienced or unpublished writers with exceptional promise."

Brain Harvest: An Almanac of Bad-Ass Speculative Fiction: Electronic journal "looking for short [speculative] fiction, 100–750 words. We want well-crafted, interesting stories that do not fall back on old, well-worn tropes—unless they have an interesting, bad-ass take on an old, well-worn trope."

Colorado Review: Print journal that is "determinedly eclectic and concerned by the shrinking markets for new writers reserve a percentage of our pages for writers who have not previously published in our magazine."

Diagram: Electronic journal of art and text "interested in representations. In naming. In indicating. In schematics. In the labelling and taxonomy of things. In poems that masquerade as stories; in stories that disguise themselves as indices or obituaries."

Do Not Look at the Sun: Paris-based online and print journal that "prefer(s) submissions from new and emerging writers rather than those already established."

Fiction: Print journal that "is always open to new writers and prides itself on publishing unsolicited manuscripts alongside the work of some of the best writers of the international world of fiction."

Fugue: Print journal that publishes "different voices, written in a variety of modes."

Glimmer Train Stories: Print journal that "especially appreciates
work that is both well written and emotionally engaging."

Hayden's Ferry Review: Print journal that publishes "voices of emerging and established talents in creative writing and visual art in a format that is not tied down to particular styles, schools of thought, aesthetics, or ideologies."

Hobart: Print and electronic journal that publishes "stories that we will love, as readers ourselves. We've said in the past that we tend to like quirky stories but not really stories that rely too heavily on their quirkiness."

Irish Pages: "Biannual print journal, edited in Belfast and publishing, in equal measure, writing from Ireland and overseas. Each issue has a slot reserved for a new writer."

jubilat: Print journal that publishes "poetry and art, as well as other forms of writing on poetry, poetics or subjects that have nothing to do with poetry."

Kestrel: Print journal "open to all forms/genres of poetry and prose that are believable and thought-provoking, that make new the expected conventions. We have published work from the U.S., Canada, Ireland, France, Haiti, etc. and are especially happy to publish work by West Virginian and Appalachian writers."

Literal Latté: Print journal that publishes "mind stimulating prose,
poetry, and art styles range from classical to experimental 98% of what we publish comes from the so-called
slush pile."

Mid-American Review: Print journal "featuring the work of established artists new and up-and-coming writers [and] dedicated to introducing non-English speaking voices to our audience through our translation chapbook series."

Monkeybicycle: Print and electronic journal that "appreciate[s] diversity and will consider anything, really, whether it's the story of a talking bear with a penchant for Toaster Strudel or the story of how Dr. James Naismith invented basketball."

Mourning Silence: Print journal "looking for submissions of highly original and experimental fiction under 900 words."

New Orleans Review: Print journal interested in "well-crafted, dynamic writing that demonstrates attention to the language, and a sense of the medium, writing that engages, surprises, moves us."

Night Train: Print journal that "strongly prefer[s] [stories] with an edge: fiction that leaves us gasping for breath, stories with characters who are actors in their own lives, who experience consequences for what they do."

Ninth Letter: Print journal that is "interested in prose and poetry that experiment with form, narrative, and nontraditional subject matter [and] work that doesn't experiment with the aforementioned, as long as it's really good."

SmokeLong Quarterly: Electronic journal that "publishes flash fiction up to 1000 words We are looking to be captured in the first few sentences of your work. Tell a story or paint a scene Quality writing is key."

Straylight Literary Magazine: Print and electronic journal interested in "innovative works of fiction, poetry, art, and we also accept book reviews. Straylight prides itself for being an avant-garde literary production and we greatly value new and upcoming writers, poets, and artists."

Sunspinner: Electronic journal that "welcomes submissions of fiction and poetry from writers everywhere."

Syntax: Electronic journal that "enjoy[s] wit, and clever pieces that play on words, while keeping focus on the storyline."

Two Hawks Quarterly: Electronic journal "dedicated to sparking debate and discussion by exposing the world to the most daring, lyrical, and edgy poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, and experimental writing available."